I regularly read ‘The Art of Manliness’ and I have no idea how Brett and Kay’s notebook post, dated August 23rd, got by me. The title of the post is, The Manly Tradition of the Pocket Notebook
And far from being a modern fad, the pocket notebook has a long, important, and manly history. Pocket notebooks were part of the arsenal of a long list of great men from Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Edison (we’re working on an in-depth post of how these men used their notebooks for the future). The repositories of eminent men’s personal effects nearly always includes a pocket notebook full of their ideas and musings.
The most interesting part of this post, to me at least, is the research that is shared. Good stuff.
I spent many hours combing through the google book archives looking for references on the use of pocket notebooks by ordinary men during this past century. The following excerpts I collected show the pocket notebook’s history and demonstrate that far from being the domain of the modern hipster, the pocket notebook has always been used by men from many different walks of life.
The above is followed by eight examples of how pocket notebooks have been used by men over the years. It’s good research, good writing, and a great look at men and notebooks. I’ve been working on a post concerning men and journaling, and while this excellent post from The Art Of Manliness might seem to steal some of the thunder, I am going to be looking at the topic from a different angle. This AOM post only adds to my inspiration to get men journaling!
This comment from ‘The Manly Tradition of the Pocket Notebook’ shows some of the good old-fashioned values of the blog as a whole:
Hopefully the excerpts above inspired you to start carrying a pocket notebook yourself. It’s a manly tradition that ought to be continued today. Along with a pocket knife and handkerchief, a notebook should reside in the pocket of every man.
Besides having a great post on notebooks last week, I feel every man can benefit from making ‘The Art Of Manliness’ a regular read. I wish there were more blogs with the professionalism and values it represents.
Read the post “The Manly Tradition of the Pocket Notebook” from THE ART OF MANLINESS here.
